JV Football: Gulf Breeze Upends Northview (With Photo Gallery)
September 10, 2021
The Gulf Breeze Dolphins upended the Northview Chiefs 36-0 Thursday evening in junior varsity football.
Up next, the JV Chiefs will travel to T.R. Miller on September 13 before hosting Baker back in Bratt on September 20.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pay Your Property Taxes On The Installment Plan? The Second Payment Is Due.
September 10, 2021
If you pay your property taxes using the Escambia County Tax Collector’s installment plan, the second payment is now due.
Visit EscambiaTaxCollector.com to view your bill, review payments history or make a payment. There’s no additional fee to pay with an eCheck.
If you are not on the installment plan, you can sign up online for future years.
Burdick Homers Again In Blue Wahoos Loss
September 10, 2021
Behind strong starting pitching from Noah Zavolas (W, 5-7) the Biloxi Shuckers defeated the Blue Wahoos 5-2 despite another home run from Peyton Burdick on Thursday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Zach McCambley (L, 1-6) took the hill for the Wahoos and pitched well despite taking his sixth loss of the season. The former third-round selection worked five innings and allowed three runs on four hits while striking out nine.
Biloxi scored their first two runs courtesy of a pair of solo home runs. The first came from Thomas Dillard in the second inning to put the Shuckers ahead 1-0. The second was from Korry Howell in the fourth inning, which at the time tied the game at 2-2.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Burdick hit a two-run homer off Zavolas to give Pensacola a 2-1 lead. One night after setting the single-season home run record for the Wahoos, Burdick has homered in back-to-back games for the third time this season.
With the game tied at 2-2 in the fifth McCambley had two-outs and nobody on base before the inning began to unravel. After a hit-by-pitch and a bloop single to right, McCambley walked David Hamilton before walking Howell, allowing Hayden Cantrelle to score and give the Shuckers a 3-2 lead. Howell finished the night with four RBIs.
The score remained at 3-2 until the ninth inning. In the ninth, Pensacola turned to the league leader in saves, Colton Hock, to attempt to keep the deficit at one. Unfortunately, Hock surrendered a solo homer to Cam Devanney and allowed a Howell two-out RBI single up the middle to give Biloxi a 5-2 lead.
Over the final six innings, the Blue Wahoos offense managed just two hits. The Wahoos only had one runner in scoring position on the night, which came with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. In their three losses to Biloxi this week, the Wahoos have struck out 41 times, including 14 times on Thursday.
Pensacola will try and get back in the win column on Friday night when LHP Will Stewart (5-7, 4.32) makes his team-leading 20th start of the year.
Beulah Mobile Home Fire Was Sparked By A Candle, Investigators Say
September 9, 2021
A candle in a bathroom sparked an early morning mobile home fire Beulah, according to fire investigators.
The fire was reported at 3:15 a.m. Thursday in the 6600 block of Frank Reeder Road. Smoke and flames were visible when firefighters arrived at the mobile home. Firefighters from the Beulah fire station were able to quickly contain the fire, according to Escambia County.
There were no injuries reported.
The Beulah, Cantonment, Ensley and Bellview stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, and Escambia County EMS responded.
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Highway 95A Has Reopened At East Roberts After Being Closed Due To Gas Leak
September 9, 2021
Highway 95A at East Roberts Road was reopened by about 4 p.m. Thursday after being closed for hours for gas leak repairs.
Workers struck a gas pipe while digging in the area before noon.
Escambia Fire Rescue responded as a precaution, and Pensacola Energy worked to make repairs.
There were no injuries reported.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Delays Business Center Space Leases For Non-Profit, Church At $1 Per Month
September 9, 2021
After lengthy discussion this week, the Century Town Council delayed action on $1 per month leases for a church and a non-profit.
Leases were prepared for approval for an building (pictured below) at the Century Business Center on Pond Street for Northwest Florida Community Outreach (NWFCO) and for a room (pictured above) at the center Wesley Chapel CME Church. No action was taken after both organizations expressed concern about air conditioning units that do not work.
Under the terms of both leases, HVAC and other maintenance would be the responsibly of the tenant, not the town, due to the low rent.
“We need to have those (HVAC units) working,” Mayor Ben Boutwell said. “That’s just good business.”
The council reached a general consensus to delay action on the leases until the heating and cooling systems could be evaluated to determine an estimated repair cost.
Interim Town Manager Vernon Prather said basic problems could be repaired using the town’s ordinary maintenance budget. If the problems are more severe, Prather said the town could fund replacement units from local options sales tax (LOST) revenue.
NWFCO is a nonprofit that has held several food giveaways and other public benefit events over the last year.
Wesley Chapel CME Church has held church services at the Business Center for several years, without a lease. The church’s Jefferson Street location was heavily damaged — shifted off its foundation — by the February 2016 tornado that ripped through Century. The remains of the building were reduced to rubble after an arsonist set fire to it in October 2016.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia COVID-19 Hospitalizations Down About 25%; Sacred Heart Says Case Load Is Still High
September 9, 2021
The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Escambia County has declined about 25% in the past two weeks.
There were 288 COVID-19 patients in the hospital Wednesday, eight of those under age 18. Two weeks ago, there were 398 hospitalizations.
Ascension Sacred Heart Hospitalizations
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola has declined over the past week but cases remain at a very high level, the hospital said Wednesday.
The number of hospitalized patients fluctuates frequently, so any individual data points are only a moment-in-time snapshot.
There were a total of 121 people being treated for complications from COVID-19 infection at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola. The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 a week ago was 149.
In addition, there were five children with COVID-19 being treated at Studer Family Children’s Hospital.
The current number of 121 patients is seven times higher than what it was on July 4, shortly before the current surge began in Northwest Florida. On July 4, the hospital had 17 patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
While cases have dropped over the past week, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is still higher than the hospital’s previous peak of COVID-19 patients that occurred in January 2021.
Of all COVID-19 patients coming to Sacred Heart for care, including visits to the ER, more than half were under age 50.
Overall, the infection rate in the Pensacola area appears to be very high, Sacred Heart said. COVID-19 testing conducted in Pensacola by Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart Tuesday found that 34 percent of those who were swab tested were found to have COVID-19. That is 2.5 times higher than what Ascension Medical Group recorded on average last year. Among children 18 and under who had nasal swabs collected Tuesday, 36 percent were found to have the virus.
In the Ascension hospitals in Northwest Florida and Mobile, Ala., 93 percent of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are not vaccinated.
“The community should know that cases of COVID-19 remain high and the Delta variant of the virus is still widespread,” said Dawn Rudolph, president of Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola. “We grieve for those who have passed from COVID-19 and we encourage you to help us stop COVID19 spread by wearing masks in public indoor spaces, social distancing, and, most important, getting the vaccine. Everyone in our community plays a critical role in keeping us safe from this virus.”
Tate Theatre To Present “110 Stories” In Honor Of 9/11
September 9, 2021
In honor of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Tate High School Theatre Department will present “110 Stories”.
The performances will be Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. Tickets at the door will be $10.
Playwright Sarah Tuft interviewed people who lived or worked in lower Manhattan on the day of and the days after the tragedy of 9/11. The result is a series of interrelated monologues which gives the audience an idea of how residents, workers, and first responders reacted to that terrible moment in time.
For more information, contact director Steven Tuley at stuley@ecsdfl.us.
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IMPACT 100 Announces Finalists For $101,820 Grants
September 9, 2021
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, a women’s philanthropic organization, has announced the grant finalists selected for 2021. During the group’s annual meeting in October, 11 of the 15 nonprofit finalists will each receive a grant of $101,820.
The 15 finalists are:
ARTS, CULTURE & HISTORY
- Ballet Pensacola, Inc. — Project: Ballet Pensacola Ballet Floors
- Pensacola Children’s Chorus, Inc. –Project: PUMP UP THE VOLUME: Building Confidence with Reliable Sound Equipment
- Pensacola Lighthouse Association, I-nc. dba Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum — Project: Shining Light on Buried History
EDUCATION
- Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, Inc. – Project: Keeping Wild Alive in Northwest Florida
- Escambia County Public Schools Foundation for Excellence, Inc. – Project: Pensacola High School Innovation Center Revitalization
- United Methodist Children’s Home dba Embrace Florida Kids – Project: A Higher Education Home: Wrap-around Support for Vulnerable Youth for Collegiate Success
ENVIRONMENT, RECREATION & PRESERVATION
- The Arc Gateway, Inc. – Project: The Arc Gateway SHRED WORKS
- Bream Fishermen Association, Inc. and PYC Satori Foundation, Inc. — Project: Taking the Coast to the Kids – Improving our Waterways through Science and Recreation
- Greater Pensacola Junior Golf Association, Inc. dba First Tee Gulf Coast – Project: First Tee Gulf Coast – Inspiring Youth and Rebuilding Warrington
FAMILY
- A Hope, Inc. – Project: The Foundation for Families with Pets
- Martha’s Vineyard Foundation, Inc. dba Vineyard Family House — Project: Caring for Families in Crisis
- Rally Foundation, Inc. – Project: Rally Resource Room powered by IMPACT100
HEALTH & WELLNESS
- Pace Center for Girls, Inc. – Project: Girls Going Places
- United for a Good Cause, Inc – Project: Hope Squad Peer-to-Peer Suicide Prevention for Schools
- United Service Organization, Inc. – Project: Pop-Up USO
This is the 18th year that IMPACT 100 will award grants to local nonprofit organizations. Since its inception in 2004, IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area has awarded 120 grants totaling $12,830,000 to nonprofit organizations serving Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. After the 2021 awards next month, IMPACT 100 will have awarded 131 grants totaling $13,950,000.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
District 5 Cantonment, Farm Hill Neighborhood Cleanup Scheduled for September 17
September 9, 2021
Residents of a portion of Cantonment and Farm Hill can dispose of yard debris and other items free of charge during a District 5 Neighborhood Cleanup on Friday, September 17.
During neighborhood cleanups, Escambia County departments team up to bring services to residents in an effort to keep local neighborhoods clean and safe. Participating is easy: Residents in the cleanup area simply leave eligible items at the curb to be disposed of free of charge by Escambia County and partnering agencies.
All debris must be at the curb directly in front of residences in the area by 7 a.m. on the day of the cleanup. Tires and paint cans should be separate from all other debris. Debris piles should not be placed under low-hanging lines or near poles, fences or mailboxes. All items, including containers, will be collected.
Only residents in the designated cleanup area are able to participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected.
Items eligible for removal include:
- Household appliances and electronics
- Household junk and debris
- Bicycles and toys
- Old furniture and mattresses
- Barbecue grills
- Household hazardous waste (old paint, motor oil, chemicals, batteries)
- Tires (limit 10 per household)
Items NOT eligible for removal include:
- Building materials (concrete, bricks, blocks, roofing, drywall or lumber)
- Explosives or ammunition
- Auto parts
- Dirt or sod
- Vehicles or vessels
- 55-gallon drums of fluids
The neighborhood cleanup initiative involves an aggressive cleanup effort, targeting different neighborhoods throughout the county, with crew members and volunteers picking up a variety of debris and waste, including electronics, furniture and household items.
Since 2016, more than 3,509 tons (7,018,000 pounds) of debris were collected and disposed of through the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program.
The county’s neighborhood cleanup program is hosted by the Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program. Local partners include Escambia County Waste Services, Environmental Code Enforcement, Public Works, Animal Services and Road Prison, along with the City of Pensacola Sanitation Department and Keep Pensacola Beautiful. During the cleanups, county staff handle issues such as roaming dogs and cats, unsafe structures, tree trimming, right of way mowing, street sweeping, household hazardous waste recycling and more.